A Daughter is a Gift of Love
by JokerAlchemist24
Summary: Elysia Hughes wants to be like her father. She's finally old enough to go off on her own to help people in need. She meets many familiar people in a lot of familiar places. She's not only following in her father's footsteps, but Edward's as well.
1. Chapter 1

A/N- I check this over and desided to replace it. I hope you like this one. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own FMA or any of the characters.

I'm Elysia Hughes, daughter of the famous Maes Hughes. My father thought the world of me, or so I was told. I was only three when he died. I hear a whole lot of stories though.

My father, who was murdered at the hand of a humunculi, ended up a Brigadier General. He was know for being a great and loyal man. Apparently he knew too much about the philosophers stone and was 'taken care of.

I knew my mother took it extremely hard. She is one of my biggest hero's. My mother, Gracia, is the strongest woman I've ever known. She's a kind woman that protects the household, is understanding of her late husbands work and his best friend Roy Mustang. She is also understanding of my decision to go travel, even if it truly isn't what she wants, she wants me to do what I really want. And what I want to do is help people in need.

I have been studying alchemy ever since I knew how to read, I was quite good at it too. I wanted to pick up where my father left off, helping his friends and protecting the people that couldn't protect themselves.

"Elysia, are you coming or not? Almost everyone here," my mother yelled from the bottom of the stairs. I could tell in her voice that she was getting impatient. I tried to pick up the speed, I have been in a daze since I woke up.

I was upstairs still getting ready. Today was my sixteenth birthday. My mother had invited almost everyone we knew. Today wasn't only my birthday but today was the day that I left home to en bark on my dream to help people, and to travel.

"Yeah, I'm almost done. I'll be down in a few minutes," I yelled back to my mother, while I finished up my hair. It was in a neat up-do, with a few hair ornaments to contribute to the style.

Today was also Edward Elric's birthday. I was always told how my father did so much for Edward and his brother Alphonse. How much he cherished the two brothers. They just got back from a mission that kept them busy for almost a year, they were just getting back today and they are stopping by for a while.

I finished up and ran down the stairs.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Every one yelled at me. I couldn't help but smile, I looked around and saw almost everyone I've ever met.

I saw all of my father's friends, like none other than Roy Mustang. I also saw Riza, Havoc, Falman, Breda, and Fuery. I saw Winry Rockbell, my best friend, that was almost like a sister to me. I saw others from the military such as Armstrong, Maria Ross, and Denny Bloch. I even saw my mother's friend Scieszka, AKA the book warm. And coming from the doorway was Edward Elric and Alphonse Elric.

Alphonse got his body back to the flesh again. I didn't know the details for I was so young at the time. Edward on the other hand never got his arm and leg back from their little 'accident.' I didn't know the details of that either. No one seemed to ever tell me about it, but the topic seemed like an overly touchy topic. I never built up the courage to ask, I think part of the reason was because I was too afraid of the answer.

The party had been going on for a while. Almost everyone had talked to me, telling me 'Happy Birthday,' and wishing me luck on my journey.

I looked over to the Elric's sitting quietly in the corner. I began to walk over to them. I noticed Alphonse had a stubborn face and Edward looking out the windo, also with a stubborn face. I smiled, knowing how much the two fought and argued, they always seemed to make up though. I knew that their bond was stronger than anyone else I've ever met in my entire existence.

"Hey," I stated. "Happy Birthday," smiling at the both.

"Yeah, you too." Edward now had a smile on his face.

For being twelve years older than me, twenty-four. He looked about the same. I have seen pictures of what he looked like when I was born and when my father was still alive. Now he was a bit taller, his hair was a bit longer and his completion was darker, that she thought was from all his traveling. His jaw was more set, gave him more of a grown up look, otherwise he looked about he same.

"So, how's your alchemy doing?" he asked me with a gigantic grin on his face, it made him look five years younger.

"Let's go to the front yard and you can find out," I grinned back.

Edward got up from his spot by the window seat walking past me to lead the way out to the front yard. Everyone at the party seemed to be interested now, excited about the upcoming fight. Everyone fallowed us both to the front yard, all falling out to watch us spar with one another.

"Be careful of my flowers you two," my mother warned Ed and I as we got into a fighting stance.

Ed's and I stances were about the same. Feet spread at a nice distance away from each other, hands out in front of each other to protect each other from the others' attacks. Edward did teach me most the moves I knew, most of the alchemy too. I was so entranced by the magic that Edward knew and begged and begged for him to teach me until he finally gave in. We spent time on Yok Island even.

"Let's see what the famous Fullmetal Alchemist can do," I sneered with a devilish grin on my face, my tactic was to get him rialed up.

"I taught you everything you know, do you really think I taught you everything _I know _though?" Edward sneered back, with what seemed like an even bigger grin on his face.

"Don't get too cocky now. That was always your down fall," I said.

I made the first move, running at him. When I was about a foot away I swung my fist at Edward's head, he dodged it easily. I then crouched and swung my leg under his feet at an attempt to trip him. He jump just in time, stepping back and clapping his hand. Bars coming out of the ground trapping me. I gasped in surprise. I then dug into one of the bars with my thumb nail and they sank away turning into sand.

"You got better," Edward laughed.

"Then why are you laughing?" I cocked my head in confusion.

"Because, you're not good enough," he said with an evil grin.

"Oh really?" I asked. I put my hands in my pockets, pulling something white out. Edward gazed at what was in my hands. I pulled the gloves on holding them out for Edward to see, with a smile on my face. I out smarted him.

On the gloves you could see a complicated transmutation circle. Edward looked up at my face only to see that I was giving him devilish grin in returned, he smiled as if it wasn't fazing him at all.

"Now you're not the only person that only mealy has to clap. With these gloves I'm just as good as you," I told him.

"One thing you're forgetting." I cocked my head to the side yet again in confusion. "You forgot about my auto mail."

At that he clapped and turned his right arm into a knife, his own personal weapon. He ran at me, full speed and tried to strike at my elbow, I dodged, he pivoted on his heal and used the pulmof his hand to hit my lower back. I coughed, getting the wind knocked out of me and fell forward. I clapped and hit the ground and a spear came up and was in my hands in an instant. Ed did the same and we were now in ready stances, spears out.

We both started clashing together, it seemed as if we were dancing around each other.

Edward hit my spear with his at a point that his flung out of my hands and fell point first to the ground, sticking up in an upright position. He hit me in the shoulder which made me turn around. When my back was to him he kicked the backs of my knees to where I buckled to the ground. All of his next moves happened in a blur, turning me over so I was face up,and jumping on me so we were in the straddle position. He then clapped his hands turning his auto mail into a spear yet again, then punching the ground to the right of my head, spear piercing the ground.

"Check mate," he said. Grinning.

I could feel my eyes, they were wide with surprise. Then softening my face, I smiled in defeat. Edward slowly got up and held out his hand for me to grab. I reached up and grabbed hold of it, and he then pulled me off the ground. When I was finally on my feet again I started to brush myself off.

We both turned at the sound of clapping. Seeing Roy at the cause of the noise Edward sighed and made a disgusted look. He still got aggravated just looking at the air-head. I on the other hand smiled, running over to him and giving him a hug. Edward just stared with his jaw nearly to the ground. I snickered at his expression.

"Hey kiddo," Roy said looking down at me.

"Kiddo... I'm sixteen," I said teasingly, looking back up to him. He just looked at me and smiled.

"So I heard you were leaving today. Where are you going to go actually?" He asked.

We started to walk away, in the direction of the house. We were both totally intrigued in the conversation.

"Well I was actually thinking of the desert town of Lior, then I was thinking about Dublith, then Lintar. I have a friend in Xenotime, there's some people there that always need help so I wanted to stop by there. I heard about Aquroya going under water finally, was thinking of stopping by there and seeing if I could help in any way. Sooner or later I want to make it to Ishbol, I would like to help with the reconstruction of the east, that is my main goal." I looked up at Mustang to see a very pleased look on his face and I smiled a soft smile back at him.

"That sounds great. You sure have grown up, it's nice how you want to help the people that seem to have been damned," he told me with a content look on his face.

"Well that's what I was taught, and that's what I heard my father was like. I would like to be like him, he was such a great man, I'm going to strive to be just like him." I looked down at the ground, thinking hard about my plans.

"He was indeed a great man. He was my best friend for a reason. I still remember his words that he spoke so often. He told me that he would work under me, stay close to the high-ups, and help push me to the top," he looked up at the sky and smiled.

"I want to be like that, I want to help people. People need me and I have the strength to help, and so I will." I also looked up to the sky, and for an instant we were one in the same.

~xxxxx~

Later when everyone was gone Mom was doing the dishes and I was taking the trash out. When I stepped back into the house my mother was waiting for me, she had a parcel in her hands.

"I never got to give you your birthday present," she said, holding it out to me.

I took it from her hands and carried it over to the table. I sat down, my mother sitting across from me. I pulled the strings on the nicely well wrapped package, then ripped the paper off.

Inside there was a backpack, it was one that slung on one shoulder. It was a dark blue and had buckles to in tack the flap down so it didn't come open.

"Thanks Mom," I smile at her mother.

"Look inside," she insisted, pointing to the bag.

I opened the big flap of the bag and looked inside, my eyes almost bulging out of my eye sockets.

"What? No. Uh, Mom. I can't take this, you need this." I was waving my hands in front of my face.

"Honey, it's the least I can do, I don't know how long you will be gone. This is my way of caring for you," she said.

I smiled a warm smile at her. I looked back into the bag and pulled out the _three_ one-hundred bills out of my new bag.

"Thanks Mom," I told her again.

We both stood up from the table. Both knowing that it was about time for me to get going, I had an eight o'clock train to catch and it was a quarter to seven already. My mother nodded to me. I went up stairs and filled my bag with the necessities, a pair of cloths and my toiletries. I walked back down and my mother had a few containers of food for me. She put them in my bag and I gave her mother another farewell hug. We walked together to the door and we both stepped out to our tiny porch.

"Now don't you forget to call me when you get to a hotel. And don't be a stranger, come back often," she smiled at me and gave me another brisk huge.

"Don't worry, I'll call you when I get to Lior," I told my mother. I walked down the stairs and down the side walk.

"Be careful," my mother shouted.

"I will, I promise," I told my mother, I turned back and walked away. My mother watching me until I was out of sight. When I turned for a final glance I saw one lonely tear escape her, and a smile played across her face.

A/N- Tell me what you think. :)


	2. Chapter 2

A/N- This is going to be a short chapter, but I still think that a small chapter would be better than no chapter at all.

I got up, I swear I was on that train forever. I stretched and smiled at the sight in front of me. The desert town of Lior, once a quiet little village. It was tore apart by the military and the creatures called homunculus. Many people died and many 'disappeared.' I didn't know details, but I did know that they needed help, and a lot of it. That's why I came.

I heard screaming coming from afar. I look towards the sound, seeing a crowd up-ahead. I started running.

"What's wrong?" I asked when I finally got to the people. A few looked at me, the others couldn't look away from the scene that I couldn't see. A young man looked at me and answered.

"It's the child, she's hurt," he told her. I looked towards where everyone was crowded around and staring. I shoved past a few so I was in front and could see what was going on.

When I looked down I saw a young blond haired girl, she was bleeding but there was so much blood I wasn't sure where she was bleeding from. I kneeled down so I could get a closer look.

The bleeding seemed to be coming from her leg. I looked up at a man.

"Go get help," I told him, he nodded and ran back towards town. I then looked up at a woman.

"I need something to tie around her leg to stop the bleeding, can you find anything?" I asked her.

"I'll try," she turned and started asking people.

I noticed that all of these people were willing to help. They all lived to help each other. They were still good people, just caught in bad situations. It wasn't their fault, it's not liked they asked for human like dolls to use their quiet village for their own good. The girl started to whimper, and I looked down.

"It's okay, help is coming," I tried to be sweet and caring sounding at the same time as being believing. I looked back towards town, hoping that help was truly coming.

"Miss, here," I looked up at the woman that I asked before to find something to tie around the young girl's leg. She was holding out a long hair ribbon, I took it.

"Thank you very much," I told her, at the same time as tying it around the girls wound. "What's your name dear?" I asked her, I was trying to calm her, she had to be in so much pain.

"Alyssa," we whimpered. I smiled at her telling her it would all be okay, she gave me a forced smile back. I couldn't help but think that she was a very strong girl.

* * *

"Thank you so much," a girl with brown hair and pink bangs told me again. I couldn't help to think that I knew her from somewhere. "What is your name?" She asked me, it caught me a bit by surprise.

"Elysia, Elysia Hughes," I told her. I thought that if she wanted to know my name, she would probably want to know my whole name. Couldn't hurt to make a few friends along the way.

"Oh, Edward and Alphonse talked about you. I think Mr. Mustang did too," she told me. My eye widened. She knew me from those three, which means she knows about my father, and what happened to him. "I'm sorry about you dad. It was horrible when Ed told me about it. It seemed to be a hard subject, your family is like his lost one. He thought you had the perfect family back then, I think he was jealous. That must be why he was so devastated when he heard about Mr. Hughes. After being able to kill off all the humunculi, he seemed to have a weight lifted off his shoulders," she took a breath then gave me a apologetic smile, "I'm sorry, I was ranting again."

"No, no. It's fine," I was about to say more but someone interjected.

"Rose! Rose! She's awake," a man came running out into the small living room Rose and I were talking in. In the other room, where the girl was lying. Rose and I got up and followed the man back into the room.

In the bed across the room lied a small girl under a large quilt. It was the same girl I saved.

"If it wasn't for you and your quick thinking she would be dead," Rose told me.

"Oh no, don't thank me. I was just doing what I came here to do," I said with a friendly smile.

"She lost a lot of blood though, it's going to be a while until she gets her strength back." She looked at me, returning a gentle smile. "And what are you here for, we would like to properly thank you." She looked at me, wondering if I was here for good or bad. Knowing her towns past I couldn't help but understand why she didn't fully understand me. They were deceived with niceness more than once.

"I'm just here to help you out a bit. Trying to follow in my father's footsteps, I just want to help people in need," I told her truthfully, nothing was better than the truth. I jumped at a deep and loud voice.

"We don't need your help! We have strong legs, we'll get up and use them!" I jumped back from the burly man. He had an angry frown in between his mustache and beard. He was well built and I had to think twice about arguing with the man.

"John, please calm down. You have to remember that this young lady saved Alyssa, without her, she would now be dead." She looked at the guy that I now know was named John. "Don't you think it was rude to yell and talk to her like that?" Her voice was stern and the man bowed apologetically.

Just by first glance I could tell that Rose seemed to be the one in charge. The one with all the say, and the more I thought about it the more I wanted to know how much really happened in this town. I wanted to to know what happened, and what gave Rose all the say in everything. How the hell she could silence a man like John. What happened to Rose and her town, what happened to the people.

"Just because God has punished us for our wrongs doesn't mean that everyone that helps us is bad. We have to yet again learn to let those who have good hearts in," her face then softened, and a warm smile played across her face. I smiled at her words, and how right she was.

"I apologize stranger, I was wrong to yell at you in the way that I did," he looked into my eyes, as in a way of trying to see what I was thinking.. to see if I was bad or good. To see if I was going to put him or his people in harm. He must have turned up blank because he held out his had. "Thank you for helping my dear Alyssa, I am eternally indebted to you." I took his hand and shook it. It was firm but friendly. "My name is John, and I'm Alyssa's father."

"Elysia," I smiled at him then turned to Alyssa. She was sleeping peacefully and I noticed that I, as one person, could help many people.

* * *

Everyone cleared out of the small house. Alyssa was going to be fine and Rose was taking me to a small Inn somewhere in the middle of town.

"I must thank you again for saving the girl. Things like that happen all the time, and we usually aren't lucky enough to have someone like you save the day," she looked at me. "Our people have been through a lot, people like John are all over town. And as much as I wish they wouldn't be so closed to people helping, there is nothing I can do sometimes. I want to warn you to be careful." She looked at me and smiled.

"Thank you, but I am very capable of taking care of myself," I told her.

"Unless you are an alchemist, you are just like us. There is nothing you would be able to do-"

"I am an alchemist," I interrupted her.

"What? Is that really true?" She asked. She seemed alarmed now, like she didn't trust me anymore.

"Yes. It is," I looked at her.

"I would like to tell you to refrain from using alchemy in town. The people of Lior don't like or trust alchemist, I'm sure you understand. So again, I want you to not use alchemy for the duration of your stay," she finished and looked at me.

I wasn't sure what to say. She thought that I was going to use my alchemy to hurt people. That wasn't humanly possible for me. The people of Lior thought that I wasn't going to do something to them just because I was an alchemist, how was that possible? I felt my stomach drop and something lodge in my throat, guilt. Even if I wasn't the one to do all the horrible things to these people I still felt like it was somehow my fault. My fellow Alchemist used our great power to hurt people, we are all connect, and I had to take some responsibility for that.

"I understand, and I'm sorry," I told her. I bowed in shame and apologized.

"Please, don't apologize for the wrong deeds of those people. They don't deserve such kindness." She seemed mad but when I looked at her she seemed happy, with a smile, and gleaming eyes. It seemed to be the feeling of hope.

We got to the Inn and she showed me around. My room was on the third floor. It had a bed in the far corner, along with a desk and chair on the opposite side, with a nice window view. It had a small bathroom connected to the room. At least she had I own privacy.

Rose told me goodbye and to have a nice night and then I was alone. I lied down not even worrying about taking my shows off or changing, and went to sleep, exhausted.


	3. Chapter 3

**Special Thanks: **I lost some of my mail on my hotmail, so if your name is not here this time I promise it will be next time. Sorry.

**Review Thanks- **stabbythings and Sekhem.

**Story Alert Thanks-** stabbythings and animephoenix2468.

**Favorite Story Thanks-** animephoenix2468 and red21191.

**A/N- **I'm not sure how I want to keep this going so it doesn't get too extemely boring. People are starting to like it so I hope I can keep it up, thanks for all the support. ^_^

* * *

I opened my eyes to the morning sun, groaned and rolled back over and covered my head. I wanted to fall back alseep but as much as I wanted that I knew that it wasn't going to happen. Once I woke up it was a done deal. I sighed and sat up looking around the room that I was introduced to just the night before. Everything was in place.

I walked over to were my bag was laying on the ground and rummaged through it till I found my toiletries. Once I had them in hand I walked to the door that I remembered was the bathroom, I opened it to find an extremely small one at that. Small shower, small sink, and if I didn't know better the toilet even looked small. I sighed but didn't complain, I could be sleeping out on the road. I should be greatful for what I had.

I stepped into the steaming water. I held my breath as it burned my body. I stood there for a few minutes and thought about what my father would do in this situation. I was in a town were more than half the people looked at me as if they wanted to kill me. I was also alone for the first time in my life.

I started to feel the water get a bit cooler and washed my hair at top speed. I hopped out and dried myself off and got dressed, after which I walked back out to where my bag was and pulled out a small unused piece of white chalk and carefully put it in my pocket. I knew that they didn't want me using alchemy but if it was going to save a life I was going to non the less.

I heard a knock on my door and hurried over to it, pulling it open with just a little too much force.

"Yes?" I asked. There was a man. He looked as if he was extemely poor, his close looked like rags. They were dirty and ripped in more than one spot. He had a brown hat on his head that shielded his eyes from my view.

"My son, he needs help," The man didn't wait for my response before he hurried off down the hall.

"Um, hey," I wasn't sure what to do. This could be a trick, to get me alone. But yet again, I just was. "Wait up," I yelled after him, locking and closing the door behind me before running off down the hall after him. I didn't want to think of what would happen to the boy if I sat around weighing my pathetic options. And even if it was a trap, it's not as if I couldn't fight him off myself.

* * *

When he finally slowed we were at the entrence to a dark ally. I shivered at the thought of someone living here and the thought of me stepping into it to help someone.

"This is it," the man said, then stepped in and started walking. He sure didn't like to talk, it was strange. He didn't seem too overly worried about his son. What was wrong with him anyways?

"Okay," I said before fallowing slowly, not letting my gaurd down. I looked at every detail of my surroundings. If I was so to have to escape at a moment's notice I would have to remember where to go. I looked back as I walked and the entrence was getting smaller and smaller as we went on.

As I was looking around I saw people sitting around fires. There were some in boxes and some huddled together in corners. That's when I realized they were all homeless. It was damp, cold, and dark. I could hear children coughing and people snorring, all the faces staring at me had no emotion what so ever. They all seemed to have lost that gleam in there eyes, the strength that kept them from giving up. They had no more energy to keep going, they were as well as dead in the state they were in.

The man came to a stop in front of a large cardboard box. It was covered with plastic, to keep it dry when it rained. He stepped in, not waiting for me to follow. I thought for a moment of what could be inside.

There could be people with guns wanting to 'take care of me,' or there could be a boy in need of help. Help only I could give at the moment. I took a deep breath and pulled the plastic away and stepped in.

When I was inside I saw a boy covered with one small sheet in the far left corner. The father was crouched on the other side, he gave me a lock of pleading. He truly wanted my help, needed my help.

I walked over the the boy and kneeled down next to him. His hair was dark brown, like his fathers, along with his eyes. He was looking at me. I could tell from the look in his eyes that he was in pain.

"Can you talk?" I asked him. He just knodded in response. I looked over to his father, he just looked at me.

"I need to know what's wrong, or I can't help," I looked from the boy to his father.

"He's sick," is all the man said. I sighed and looked back to the boy, noticing that the man wasn't going to be any help.

"Can you tell me how you're sick?" He knodded and then sat up carefully, and very slowly.

"It here," he told me and then lifted up his shirt to show a large red rash on his stomach. It was bruised all around it and looked like it was extemely infected.

"How did you get it?" I aked him. He just shrugged his shoulders. "When did you get it?"

"A few months ago I think," his voice wasn't anymore than a whisper but I could hear him just fine.

"Did anything happen around that time?" I asked, I need as many clues as I could get, I need to first find out what was making this happen.

"We moved out here," I gave him a confused look. "Our home was destroyed." I then knodded.

I took in some mentle notes about his home and what enviroment he was living in and what his stomach looked like. I then looked over to his father.

"I need time to resurch this, can you give me three days?" The father knodded to me then went and sat by his son, that's when I knew it was time for me to leave.

* * *

During those three days I didn't take my head out of a book except to shower. I found out that people get infections and rashes from their surroundings. Some are worse than others. The young man just so happened to have one of the more 'difficult to treat'. People who got it were under stressful conditions, leaving the body vulnerable to infections. The body would be too busy with their mental health to worry about their physical health. Being as it was this boy was stressed from losing his home and is now living in a diseased place with a lot germs and bacteria.

I would have to do a human health transmutation, which I have never done before. It was also rumored to be part of human transmutation because it changed several things within the body and structure. You were only allowed to do it if you went through school and got a certificate of knowledge of medicine and the human body, which I indeed didn't have.

If I could figure out a way to do this without causing too much of an uproar and not getting noticed I would be just fine. I thought I knew how to do it, it looked simple enough. I understood what I needed and what I had to do. I just had to be sure I was right about what he had, or this would kill him and myself.

I would need water, lots of water. Water was the foundation of all humans. It made up most of the body and it was what flushed all the germs and bacteria out of the body, cleaning it out. I would also need Carbon, Ammonia, Lime, phosphorous, salt, saltpeter, sulfur, fluorine, iron, silicon, along with 15 other elements**. **This was used to replace any that was lost to the disease, or during the transmutation.

It was all cheep enough for me, it's not as if I didn't have money. It was just the risk.

I would do a transmutation circle of a six pointed ray, which Edward perfected just a few years ago. He made it perfect, I remember him showing me what he did and how he figured out what to take away from it and what to add. I would have the water in the middle of it with all the added ingredients. I would then lay him next to it, clap my hands and put them to the infected part of his body. If it worked he would be up and around in a matter of days, if not, he would most likely die in hours. Not to add that I would be in a rough condition.

I still had to ask the father if he wanted to take the risk. I was 99% sure that he had this disease and if I was correct he would become infectious to everyone around him. The father was in danger as well, if not already. I would totally understand if he didn't want to go through with it. But yet again, if he didn't his boy would die anyways in the long run. It was a difficult choice he would have to make in hours, for his boy only had about three more days to live if he didn't get this treatment.

**A/N-** I really like this chapter. Sorry for any grammar or spelling mistakes. If you have any ideas, I would love to hear them. Thanks to all who are giving support to me. I've been trying harder to update more often and I think I'm doing quite well at the moment. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.


	4. Chapter 4

**Special Thanks: **Thank you again for all your support and praising words. I really wouldn't be able to go on without you. My strength in writing and my courage to go on all comes from the help of all you. Thank youuu.

**Review thanks: **

**--animephoenix2468--**Thank you for the praise. And I like to thank my readers for their support in anyway possible. I didn't have the idea for incorporating Ed's list of materials until I actually did it. The idea just kinda hit me randomly when I was writing it randomly in first hour. And thank you for correcting me, in a nice way. I appreciate it. Thanks again!

**--stabbythings-- **Thank you for the nice words, I also enjoyed writing it. I thought it turned out to be a really good chapter. And thank you for correcting me nicely, hehe.

I was standing at the foot of where the boy was. His father and him had a conversation and decided that they would like to go through with it. They new of all the risks and what would happen if it failed. I told his father that if we didn't go through with the transmutation that he would most likely die in a matter of days. They agreed that it was for the best.

I learned that the boys name was Noah. Nice name, suited him quite well I thought. His father's name was Abraham, also a nice name. I also thought that maybe they were religious or maybe there was another reason for their names. For christ has not given them mercy in a while. They lost their home and all their belongings, they seemed sheltered and alone. For they have lost everything in the eyes of a stranger like me.

"Are you ready?" I asked them both, I waited. Abraham looked down at his son. He was holding his hand, and he seemed to have tears in his eyes. Noah nodded, he looked brave with no fear in his eyes. In a way he reminded me of Edward, he was just too quiet. Abraham slowly backed away from his dying son and went to the other side of the small tent like box.

"Good luck," is all he told me before he kneeled down and started to pray.

I turned back to Noah. When I looked at him closely I could see dark circles under his eyes. He looked far more weaker than he did just four days before. He looked starved, for his skin was tightly pressed against his bones to make him look far more scrawnier than he actually was. I would have to remember that when this was all said and done, and if it worked to take the poor boy and his father out to dinner.

"I can't tell you that it's not going to hurt, because I don't know. I've never heard of a successful transmutation actually putting someone in pain unless it was at the end and didn't turn out," I had to tell him the truth. If I didn't know if it was going to work, if I didn't know if it was going to hurt, he needed to know these things, and if he backed out I would completely understand and wouldn't think ill of him.

"I have faith in you Elysia, you may begin whenever you feel comfortable," he told me this in kind words. He was very controlled under pressure, and it made me think that he would make a great alchemist for an alchemist had to handle things well, even in the roughest of times.

"You give me far too much credit, you can praise me after I've fixed you all up and have you on your feet again." I smiled, not sure if I was trying to convince him or myself.

"Deal," he told me. I nodded and then started. He smiled and then laid his head down on the pillow I brought with me. I wanted him to be as comfortable as possible.

"Water, 35 litres. Carbon, 20kg. Ammonia, 4 litres. Lime, 1.5kg. Phosperus, 800g. Salt, 250 g. Niter, 100g. Sulphur, 80g. Fluorine, 7.5g. Iron, 5g. Silicon 3g. And a trace amount of fifteen other elements," I said it out loud as I added it all to the large tin bowl sitting next to him.

Earlier I had already drawn the circle, the exact diagram of Edwards'. When all the ingredients were added and it was sitting on the circle I took a deep breath, clapped my hands, and concentrated. I opened my eyes to see a bright light filling the box we were in, I saw things going and coming from Noah's body and then it all went dead.

I hurried over to his side and saw that he was breathing, he was just unconscious; sleeping. I took a deep breath and held it as I lifted up his shirt, I released it when I noticed that the bruise like rash was no longer engulfing his body.

"It'll all be okay," I told Abraham. His face went from sorrow to happiness. His eyes brightened, this seemed to have returned the hopeful gleam to his eyes. And this is how I knew that everything would be okay, not only for them, but the people around him.

I walked out of the small box were the two were now sitting together. I waited to leave until the boy had woke up, so I could make sure everything was alright.

I slowly made my way out of the dark, dirty ally, I looked up to see a figure standing at the end. I could tell by the stance that it was clearly a man, maybe in the military from the looks of the outline of his body. He seemed to be wearing a suit of some kind. I thought it was a bit strange that he was just standing there, looking in. I refused to let my guard down. I finally got to the opening and looked up to see that the man looked a bit larger than I had first imagined.

"I saw what you did," he told me. His voice was deep also. I finally looked at him and his features. He had dark hair, black for all I could tell. He was infact wearing a military uniform, so I knew right away that I was in trouble. He had dark eyes that seemed to have gone through much pain, they reminded me of Mustang's eyes. He must have been in one of the wars, he always told her how it was like giving your soul away.

"You're point?" I asked. I didn't make any attempt to stop, or be pleasurable. I knew that I was in trouble, so maybe if I got away he wouldn't come looking for me, but he was right on my heal.

"My point is, is that you did something that was strictly forbidden. Do you have any idea what could have happened to you or that boy, or even his father. You could have lost everything, or taken everything from that family." He finished, and I stoped, still turned away from him. I didn't say anything, I didn't really know what to say. The thought of my mother flashed in my mind, if I died she would have nothing left. I was non-responsive so he added, "maybe you should talk to the Elrics, maybe they can teach you a leason." At this I whipped around. What about the brothers? What didn't I know?


	5. Chapter 5

A/N- Before I get into the story I would like to say that I have a completely different and new one up. Please check it out, I think it will turn out quite well, and be quite interesting. Thanks again! Enjoy.

**Special Thanks: **

**Review Thanks:** stabbythings

**Favorite Story Thanks: **pinkfire101

I ran to my room and pulled out my suite case with probably a little too much haste and just started piling things into it. I was just about finished when a nock came at my door. I looked back at it and decided that it would be better for me to just jump out the window and onto the soft green grass rather than open the door to maybe a stranger. I was half way out the window when I heard a familiar voice.

"El, it's me! Open up will ya?" It was Edward to my surprise. I pulled myself back into the room and walked over to the door and slowly opened it. Not that I had anything to be afraid of but I was just a bit jumpy after everything that's been happening.

"Why are you here?" I asked the boy, and then looked behind Edward to see Alphonse smiling and waving shyly. I smiled back.

"Well Mustang sent us a distress call and sent us over here. It took a while to figure out where you were staying though." Edward looked around with a look of disgust, "You know, you could have asked Mustang or myself for some money for a better place, we wouldn't have minded." He looked at me.

"Distress call?" I asked him, ignoring the part about asking for money. He didn't seem to notice and went on about why he was sent here.

"Well yeah, sounds like you were spotted doing something you weren't supposed to be doing. We got a call from a civilian saying that they spoke to you and everything," Edward told me, looking me straight in the eyes, wanting answers.

"Well the only one that talked to me was someone in a Military Uniform, you caught me just as I was about to get out of here."

"That's impossible, if it was Military Personal they would have said so. It's procedure," he told me. He had a look of confusion on his face.

"Well he was wearing a uniform and told me that what I did was off limits and that I should talk to you about it, to teach me a lesson or something like that." I forgot about all that until it came out of my mouth and I strongly wished it would have stayed inside. I looked at him.

"Elysia, what did you do?" His face was suddenly very serious, I looked away then back. I thought that it would be easier to show him than tell him. And I could leave now that I was with him, I was now safe.

"Well, I saved a boys life is all," I told him. I then told him that I should show him and that then it would be easier for me to explain. We left the building I was staying in and we walked threw the streets in silence and I found the ally once again. I made no effort to break the silence and just walked into the small ally. I stopped at the box that everything happened in, and knocked lightly.

Noah answered and wave the boys and I in with a happy smile, his eyes were on me. We all bunched into a circle and I then began. You could still see the faint outline of the circle and the extra materials that weren't used in the transmutation. I looked at Noah's father.

"Abraham, I hope you don't mind me explaining to my friends here what I did."

"Not at all, I'm forever indebted to you." I nodded and smiled at the man, and then turned to Edward.

"Noah was sick and dying with a strange rash engulfing his body and sucking all energy and life out of him. I looked up a bunch of stuff and learned of how to treat him. I got all the ingredients together and then came back three days after I met him and I fixed him up to what you see here," I paused and looked Edward straight in the face. "I performed a human transmutation, human health transmutation."

In two seconds Edward was on his feet as was Alphonse, I got up to face him. His face was in the middle of a glare and a face of just mere astonishment.

"You did what?" He roared at me. I flinched back, but he was so angry he didn't seem to notice. I was suddenly mad at him for yelling, and after all, I saved the boys life. What did it matter how I did it?!

"You heard me, I performed a human transmutation. I did it to save his life," I yelled back.

"At what cost? Uh? Your own life, the boys life, and even his fathers." He looked at me, "Do you have any idea what you've done?" He looked almost panicked, but his anger was still heavily showing.

"It worked didn't it?" I half yelled.

"But what if it hadn't? What if you were lying here dead right now with search parties looking for you? What would your mother do?" He stopped me sort and I didn't know how to react. He looked at me with almost a fatherly look, with such authority. "We're leaving, come on." He turned and started walking out of the ally. I saw Alphonse bow once to Noah and Abraham and then run out to catch up to his brother.

I was caught up but was walking fast even so through the ally, tripping as it was hard to keep up with Edward. His legs were so short, but he moved so fast. I was out of breath.

"Where are we going?" I asked finally, my breathing was heavy.

"I'm taking you home," he said to me. His voice wasn't as loud and he was still walking fast, I almost didn't catch it. I stopped dead in my tracks.

"What? No, you can't." I was angry all over again. I was finally on my own and here he was, taking all my freedom away from me. He turned on his heal and was instantly in my face.

"I can, and I will." He told me. He then turned back around and it took me a minute to gain my composure and start up walking again. I was about to open my mouth to protest again when he spoke. "I'll tell you my story, and then you'll understand." I decided that it was probably best for me to keep my mouth shut for now. I could argue later.

~xxxxx~

We were at the train station and we still haven't said a word to each other. Alphonse and him would murmur every so often, looked as if they were arguing about something. I looked out past the horizon where I saw the town I was just in and then looked down at the ground. What have I done?

I looked up at the sound of a train whistle and then I looked sideways at Edward and Alphonse who were getting up. I predicted that they were going to tell me their story on the train.

When it was in front of us we boarded and gave the conductor our tickets, he said a few kind words to the boys, apparently they knew each other, and then sent us to the back where we had a private car. I guess the Military had more perks than I was aware of.

I sat down and Edward began talking with no warning at all. I looked at him.

"It all started when our mother died, our father having run out on us, we were completely and utterly alone. We found ourselves a teacher who you know as Izumi Curtis. She taught us everything we know, she took us in and treated us as if we were he own, and beat us up a bit to teach us our lesson," he seemed to be looking right threw me. "We studied long and hard, and we finally made our way back to Resembool. We were young and naïve. I made preparations to bring our mother back. At the cost of getting what wasn't our mother in the long run I lost my left leg and I lost Alphonse all together, to get him back, I gave up my right arm. We were the reason a homunculi was born and it grew to great strengths, and we had to go on a long battle and journey to fight and destroy them all. We lost more throughout the years and we now know that what we did… Well, there's a reason why Human Transmutation is the forbidden science." His last sentence died down as his voice did, almost as an after thought. Or maybe it was just that he was thinking of his past.

I didn't know what to say, I never knew that was why he had auto mail, and I didn't really put anything together, when I was told that Alphonse didn't always have a body. I now looked down at my hands that were sitting in my lap, tears forming in my eyes. What would have happened if I would have lost my limbs or my whole body all together? What would my mother have done? I could have left her all alone. I looked up to see the boys looking at me.

"I'm so sorry," I told them. My voice cracked and I began to weep. I now knew why Edward was the way he was, why he always seemed to be living in the past, why he always seemed to be in pain.

A/N- Well I hope you enjoyed this, and just to remind you all again, I have a new story up. Please! Take a look at it. It would mean a lot! Reviews and Alerts are always welcome!


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